


Choices

by Megara09



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M, Kouga in wolf form, Mention of children, Mention of pregnancy, you can pry this headcanon from my cold dead hands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:09:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29457273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megara09/pseuds/Megara09
Summary: Kagome has never seen Kouga's wolf form, and he's...oddly resistant to showing her. But when have we ever known Kagome to take no for an answer ;)
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/Kouga
Comments: 8
Kudos: 57





	Choices

Written for the [ KogKagSecretAdmirer](https://kogkagsecretadmirer.tumblr.com/) exchange!

Prompt by [ @loveforthecanines](https://loveforthecanines.tumblr.com/) :

Hello! I was thinking of something to do with the first time Kagome saw Koga’s demon form ( either because she kept nagging about it, or by accident). Maybe some feels about how he was worried she’d be scared of him or reject him? (But of course she wouldn’t lol). Does that help? You can totally ask me again if that’s not specific enough lol

* * *

**Choices**

“Kagome, I don't want to talk about it,” Kouga growled, turning away from the stubborn woman he loved.

“And I'm just asking  _ why!  _ I just don't understand, Kouga,” Kagome whined, feeling put out that Kouga was still, after so much time, denying her this one request.

It had started months before, when she'd innocently asked why there were no humanoid babies born into the tribe. The Eastern wolves, she'd been informed, were born as wolves and then learned to shift into human form later. The wolvy wolves in the caves? Most of them were wolf youkai who either preferred that shape or had never mastered their human form.

That had gotten Kagome thinking, which was always a dangerous thing when it came to that glint in her eyes.

And so began Kagome's daily... _ request _ – read: pestering – to see Kouga's wolven form.

It had been a bone of contention between them ever since. None of the other tribesmen and -women had had any issue with Kagome seeing their true forms, had even taken to shifting in front of her once they realized she was no longer scandalized by the process.

(Their furs, in fact, did  _ not _ shift with them, as Kagome had been witness to many times.)

Kouga was the only one – the  _ only _ member of the whole tribe – who had yet to let Kagome see that side of him.

In truth, she was a little hurt by it. Sure, she loved riling Kouga up and seeing his reactions to her pestering him, but it felt like he was hiding a major part of himself from her. Which, given that she had long since told him about her true origins and the fact that she could travel through time, was a bitter pill to swallow.

But as Kouga stomped off without another word, Kagome wondered if she should just let it go. She watched him with sadness all but radiating from her, waiting until he rounded the corner to sigh heavily and slowly follow him to the main area of the caves.

When she'd first come to live with them, Kagome had been pleasantly surprised by the setup. The main area, which she remembered from their first meeting so long ago, was the communal area and the cooking area. It was closest to the mouth of the cave, which allowed smoke from the cookfires to escape easily. Further back, the rock had been carved into hallways and dens.

Kouga's den was one of the largest and also the closest to the main cave. Where once he'd had just a pile of furs, Kagome had added her own touch to the space. Small flowering plants in hollowed out rocks, a tapestry-like curtain to give them some privacy, and even the present-day equivalent – or as close as she could get it – to a mattress like she'd slept on at home.

But Kagome's favorite part of the whole cave system was the small area at the furthest reaches of the mountain. A barely-there opening let out into a tiny, lush meadow with a hot spring. The vegetation all around the nutrient-rich water helped give privacy to those wanting to soak, and Kagome made use of the spring nearly every day. Surrounded on all sides by the imposing mountain range, it was a quiet oasis.

And this was precisely where Kagome escaped to as quickly as she was able, having done all she could to help with the day's tasks and made sure to let someone know where she was headed in case anyone needed her.

Sinking into the heated water, Kagome sighed with relief and wished, not for the first time, that Sango was closer by than she was. Between the distance and the twins, visits between the friends were few and far between.

If she were being brutally honest with herself, it was one of the very few things which could – if she let it – drive her away from her home with the Eastern wolf tribe.

But even as she thought it, she dismissed the idea. She loved Kouga too much to leave, and she had grown to love his people as well. Their customs and ideas, how family-centered everything was, even the camaraderie which she had fostered with many of the wolves.

No, Kagome wouldn't change where her choices had led her, even if her mate was a grumpy wolf with a burr in his tail.

As she usually did when relaxing in the springs, Kagome soon fell asleep, lulled by the heat and the gentle lapping sound of the water. Some time later, she was woken by someone joining her. Instantly awake and alert, she relaxed a moment later as Kouga came into view. He waded closer and sat beside her on the large rock that made up a seat, pulling her into his lap after he'd settled in.

Kagome waited quietly, wondering if he would speak first. After some time, he did.

“It's just... I don't want you to be afraid,” he admitted. “I'm not like the others. As alpha, as a direct descendant of Ooguchi no Magami, the great wolf god, my true form is...different.”

Though now  _ insanely _ curious, Kagome simply rubbed Kouga's arm and kept her silence.

After a few moments, Kouga sighed. “I love you, Kagome. More than you know. But this...this is something I don't know if I'll ever be comfortable with showing you.”

Biting her tongue to keep from speaking the first thing that came to mind, Kagome took a moment before she spoke. When she did, it was with a soft voice. “I love you, too, Kouga. I'm not going to lie, it...stings...that you're still holding something back from me, something that's so big a part of who you are. But I understand, or at least I'm trying to, and I promise to stop pestering you about it.”

The tense draw to Kouga's shoulders relaxed at her words. He sank deeper into the water, drawing Kagome closer as he leaned back into the wall of the pool, saying playfully with a smirk, “Maybe just a little bit.”

Kagome gently smacked his chest, her fingers lingering on the damp skin as lecherous thoughts began to fill her head. A moment later, however, her head jerked up as she looked at Kouga in horror, a thought occurring to her which had somehow slipped past her all these months. “Wait,  _ all _ babies born to the tribe come out as wolves?!”

Kouga's booming laughter echoed off the walls of the oasis, upsetting the water and Kagome, who struggled to keep her seat on his lap as his whole body shook from mirth. Once he'd finally gathered himself, he said gently, “Kagome, they come out as wolves because they...well, they  _ go in _ as wolves, so to say.”

Once Kagome caught his meaning, a furious blush covered her face, even leeching down onto her chest. “Oh,” she squeaked.

“Since I would have to stay in my human form for that, I think it's safe to say that our baby would be at the very least mostly human. Maybe like Inuyasha, with the ears.”

Hearing her friend's name brought a smile to her face. It had been a few months since he'd been by to visit, but Kagome knew that Kikyo had already been close to the end of her pregnancy at that time – she'd probably given birth by now, or she was very close to it.

There were some days that she wondered how her life would have turned out if she hadn't made the choices that she'd made. If she'd stayed in the village, maybe she would have ended up married to Inuyasha. But, with Kikyo fully alive and able to live out the destiny she should have originally had, Kagome hadn't been able to keep Inuyasha tied to her when he still so desperately loved Kikyo.

Instead of going home to the future to lick her wounds, Kagome had packed her trusty yellow backpack and taken off by herself, promising to send word whenever she could that she was safe.

She'd had a big plan – to retrace her steps from so many years ago, revisiting old friends and helping those in need along the way. In truth, she'd barely made it two days before she had begun regretting her choice and wanted to go back home. But just as she'd decided to turn around and return with her tail between her legs, Kouga had appeared with a shout of her name, barreling into her with a tighter hug than she was expecting.

They talked for hours, catching up on what had happened since Naraku's defeat, how the tribe and the Inu-tachi were doing, what in the world Kagome was doing all by herself so far from home.

When she'd told him what had happened, Kouga had offered up the dens as a place to stay. It was close enough to the village in case anything happened, but it was also far enough away to give her the space she had so desperately needed.

Kagome had taken Kouga up on his offer...and had never left.

Within a few days of her staying with them, Kagome began to feel the first flickers of a spark toward Kouga. A few weeks after that, the spark had become a raging bonfire. It was so easy to let herself be wooed by him now that Inuyasha was no longer taking up the majority of her attention – and not butting in at every turn, but that was besides the point.

Now, sitting in Kouga's lap and talking about what their future pups may look like, Kagome knew she'd made the best decision. And it was this realization that gave her the confidence to throw caution to the wind and blurt out, “Then let's try for it!”

Kouga froze mid-sentence, staring at Kagome with a dumbfounded expression. “Try...for it?”

Blushing now at his close scrutiny, Kagome clarified, “For a baby...”

Hope and joy and love and a dozen other emotions flickered across Kouga's face as he drew her closer to him. “You're sure?” he whispered. “I know you wanted to wait...”

Kagome nodded with a smile. “I'm tired of waiting, Kouga. I want us to have our own family. Not that the tribe isn't family, I just meant...us,” she said with a small hand gesture, waving between the two of them.

“I know what you mean,” Kouga assured her. “If you're sure...” he trailed off, wanting to hear that confirmation one more time. When Kagome voiced her surety once more, Kouga whooped and stood with her in his arms, heading to their den.

“Kouga!” Kagome screeched with laughter. “What are you doing?!”

“No time like the present,” he said with a light smack to her bottom. He darted through the halls and finally into their room, plopping her gently onto their furs and looming over her with a heated look in his eyes. Kagome stared back at him, anticipation sending shudders through her body.

Leaning down, Kouga buried his nose between her neck and shoulder, inhaling her scent. Disappointment swirled in him when he realized that Kagome wasn't at her fertile time, but he waved that thought away. They had plenty of time to make actual efforts – this time was just for them.

**Sex scene ahead!**

Trailing his nose down from her neck to her chest, Kouga began to kiss and nip at the flesh there. The closer he drew to her nipples, the harder and tighter they became. When he finally covered one with his lips, Kagome cried out and tangled her fingers in his hair. Kouga shuddered as her fingers grazed his ears, but he didn't relent until Kagome used her gentle hold on his head to push him sideways to the neglected breast.

With a wolfish grin, Kouga attacked the other breast readily, knowing he would never get enough of his mate's body. By the time both nipples were cherry red and oh, so sensitive, Kagome was a panting mess beneath him. Kouga grinned again and began to kiss his way down her body, heat slamming into him when she dropped her legs wide and he was able to see just how much she wanted this.

Kagome whimpered as the cool air of the dens hit her heated flesh, cooling the wetness that all but dripped from her. Kouga's hot breath helped warm her again, but the heat from his mouth when it finally touched her was akin to a furnace. His tongue delved deep into her body, sending her spiraling further toward her release.

But, as though he could sense it approaching, Kouga backed away and sent her a wink when she glared down at him.

“The journey makes the destination that much better,” he said in a low voice.

Kagome shivered as the deep timbre of his voice washed over her, sending another wave of arousal through her. “I want to skip the journey this time!” she protested, already desperate for him.

After a moment of thought, Kouga nodded in agreement and crawled back up her body, leaving nips and licks and kisses along the way. “Yeah, you're right – sometimes the journey is overrated.”

Kagome opened her mouth to snark back at him, but Kouga chose that moment to bring his pelvis to hers, showing her just how aroused he was. His heated length slid through her wet folds, giving them both a delicious hint of what was to come. Kouga tortured them both for long minutes, simply moving between her thighs without even attempting to enter her body fully.

Finally, Kagome had had enough. With a grunt and a sudden tilting of her hips, she maneuvered Kouga's thick length into just the right position to slam into her. Once fully seated, Kouga froze, his breath coming in gasps as he tried to keep his instincts at bay a little longer.

“Dammit, woman,” he breathed, “that's...not fair.”

“Neither...was the teasing,” Kagome responded, her own breaths a little short.

But the urge to move became too much to ignore, and Kouga drew his hips back, almost all the way out, before slamming back into Kagome. At the first fluttering of her inner walls clenching around him, Kouga knew that all bets were off.

His hands clenched the furs to either side of Kagome's head, his claws lengthening and tearing into the hides. His eyes flickered with red as he felt the demonic instincts inside him trying to take over. But he couldn't – not with his precious Kagome. While strong, she was still human; she couldn't physically handle how rough he could get if he let go like that.

But that didn't mean she didn't like a little bit of his youkai, he knew. She loved how his fangs grew longer, the better to mark and mate her with. His body seemed to grow in size, the muscular form she loved growing more bulky with the power rushing through him. And when he dropped to his elbow to wrap those arms around her...

Kagome came moments later, biting into the meat of his shoulder to keep from screaming in his ear.

Feeling her coming around his shaft all but forced Kouga into his own release, his fangs coming down onto her mating mark. There would never be any question that she was mated, he knew. His only regret was that her human teeth couldn't pierce his own skin and return the mark.

Panting, Kouga tipped to the side so they could lie beside each other, both grinning. “Well, I'd say that's a great start,” he said with a wink.

Kagome smiled and snuggled closer. “Mmm, I agree.” A moment passed. “When can we do it again?”

Kouga's laughter echoed around their den as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her ever closer. “Whenever you want,” he promised.

Closing their eyes, they were both asleep within moments, pushing off their duties for the day, content in the knowledge that someone would come get them if they were needed.

**Sex scene done!**

.

#######

.

Time passed quickly, as it usually did when one stayed busy and had no access to clocks. A few weeks went by, and nothing really changed within Kouga and Kagome's relationship, despite their new efforts. Kagome still woke up early to help with the women's chores, and Kouga still woke up even earlier to do his morning patrols and check on all the wolves who had pulled guard duty the night before.

Theirs was a simple life, Kagome mused as she wandered from group to group, but it was one that she truly enjoyed. She loved to care for others, had even once thought of taking up nursing or something like that, if she had ever gone back to the future to stay.

She loved her mate, her tribe, her home. She loved hearing the waterfall every day, the birds chirping just outside. There were downsides, to be sure, but they were few and far between and usually worked around with ease.

As the seasons changed and the weather warmed, Kagome began itching to go hunting. She had definitely improved her archery since first coming to this era, and she no longer needed the guiding hand of her miko powers to make sure her arrow hit the target. In fact, she was one of the best archers in the tribe, a point which had Kouga boasting every time she brought in a kill.

On this particular day, she dressed in her warmest furs and grabbed her bow and quiver, intending to find Kouga and let him know her plans. After wandering around for long enough for the sun to begin creeping into the main cave, Kagome sighed and shook her head. If she waited any longer, the best hour for hunting would be gone.

Heading outside, she waved at the wolf on guard duty and hollered for him to let Kouga know she had left and the general area she would be hunting. With a deep inhale to breathe in the crisp morning air, Kagome steadily gripped her bow and took to the woods.

.

#######

.

Something had been bothering Kouga all day, but he just couldn't put his finger on  _ what _ it was. He'd woken as usual, pressed a quick kiss to Kagome's cheek, and dressed before leaving for patrol, same as always. Kagome had been sleeping more deeply than usual, but that wasn't cause for concern, was it?

The nagging feeling followed him all morning, and he was heading back to his den to talk to Kagome about it when Kai, a younger wolf who had been on guard duty that morning, called out to him.

Stopping in his tracks, he turned and waited for the younger wolf to catch up. “What's up, pup?”

Scowling at the nickname, Kai said, “Lady Kagome asked me to tell you that she was going into the Snake Woods to hunt.”

Kouga sighed and rubbed a hand across his face. Of course she would pick the most dense forest with the highest population of lower level youkai. “Thanks, Kai. Go get some grub, I'm sure you're hungry.”

Kai nodded gratefully and jogged further into the cave, leaving Kouga alone.

Grunting in annoyance, Kouga headed to the den he shared with Kagome in order to pull on his warmer furs. If he was going hunting for his mate, he wasn't going to freeze doing so. But as he entered the den and knelt near their bed, that nagging feeling returned.

Eyes narrowed, Kouga approached their bed, where his instincts began to hammer at him. Why did that scent feel so...familiar? Looking more like a dog than he ever wanted to admit, Kouga dropped to his hands and knees and let his nose take over. The scent was coming from where Kagome usually slept, but he couldn't place what was so different about her normal scent.

At that moment, Tsume walked in, her mouth already open to ask something of her leader.

Both of them froze, and Tsume looked away and cleared her throat, intending on ignoring Kouga's...peculiarities.

“Lord Kouga, Lady Kagome hasn't yet returned from her hunt. Would you like to send out a patrol to find her?”

Kouga felt his gut clench at her words, instincts suddenly hammering at him once more. Which...was a little overkill. This wasn't the first time Kagome had been late returning. More than once, she'd been found in a meadow, asleep in the sun.

But his reaction served to give him another clue as to what had been nagging at him.

“Tsume, scent this for me, will ya?”

Giving Kouga a wary look, Tsume stepped forward and took the cloth that Kagome had slept in, bringing it closer to her face to scent. Her eyes widened a moment later and she stared in shock at Kouga.

Her reaction told him everything he needed to know.

His heart suddenly racing in his chest, Kouga was gone in a flash, faster than he'd ever run – even with the jewel shards in his legs. Tearing through the main area, he hit the edge of the cliff with his right foot, using that momentum to push himself through the air and across the river, landing on four paws in the woods on the other side.

.

#######

.

Kagome had started the hunt full of confidence, but so far she had been disappointed. A few scraggly rabbits and a deer so poorly that it wouldn't feed the smallest of the pups were all that she had seen so far. She had been so sure that the more dense Snake Wood would have better game than this...

Sighing in defeat, she sat on a log to rest and catch her breath. “Man, I have got to get out of that cave more often. I can't believe how tired I am just from that little bit!” she moaned to herself.

So distracted by her internal woes and exhaustion, Kagome didn't hear the rustling of leaves, drawing ever closer. Until, that is, something burst out of the foliage to her left. Kagome screamed...

...and gasped as a large wolf landed directly in front of her, snarling as the snake youkai bit into his forepaw. The wolf, easily the size of an SUV, grabbed the snake by its neck and tossed it away.

Incensed at the treatment and at losing its easy meal, the snake whirled around, hissing and seeming ready to fight. When it got a good look at its opponent, however, the hissing stopped mid-sound and the youkai tried to flee.

Kouga, still battling the anger and the fear and his new knowledge, let his instincts take over.  _ Don't ever run from a wolf, _ human mothers would tell their children,  _ because it makes them want to chase you. _

And chase he did. The snake barely made it a few yards before Kouga pounced on it, tearing into it without remorse, only stopping when there were too many pieces to count.

One instinct assuaged, Kouga turned his giant muzzle to face the other one.

His mate stood, bow still in hand, and stared at him. Shame and despair filled him, for surely Kagome would reject him now, reject this oversized lump of fur.

But Kagome simply dropped her bow and ran forward, neatly ducking under Kouga's head to bury her face in his furry chest as she began to cry. “I'm so glad you found me!” she cried out. “I was so tired, so I took a break, and then I heard a noise, and then...and then...” Unable to finish the thought, Kagome simply clutched tighter at her mate.

Shocked, Kouga simply stood for a moment. When Kagome let out a loud sob, he startled and immediately dropped his head to nuzzle at her. They stood like that for long minutes, with Kouga letting out comforting rumbling noises as he nuzzled her.

As her tears finally slowed, Kagome sniffled and moved to step back. Kouga reluctantly let her, afraid again of what she would say. He waited with bated breath as she took in his wolven form. The brown fur that matched his tail, the enormous stature common in the wolves of his bloodline, the sharp teeth that he couldn't hide from her.

Kagome took all of this in for long moments, the seconds drawing out torturously for Kouga, until she finally said softly, “Kouga, you're...beautiful.”

A disbelieving chuff came from Kouga's snout, and Kagome scowled at him. Stepping closer once more, she hugged his face this time, her forehead resting against his massive one as she gently stroked the fur on the sides of his head and face.

“Kouga, how could I not love every part of you? Especially this part, the part of you who  _ saved me.  _ I've never seen such a beautiful coat,” she admitted. “Even in my wildest imaginings, I never could have pictured how amazing this is.”

After taking a moment to use his very convenient position to scent her, Kouga gently shook his head so that she released him and shifted back to his usual form. Kagome was in his arms a moment later, and he breathed in her familiar-yet-different scent as he held her close. “I'm sorry,” he whispered.

“For what?” Kagome asked, surprised at his apology – one, she felt, that was unnecessary.

“I should have been with you. I should have protected you!”

“Kouga...you did protect me. A minute later and I might have been a goner!” Kagome winced at her own words when Kouga's pained whimper reached her ears. “But,” she continued, “you found me and you saved me. And gave me the greatest gift I could have asked for.”

Still not quite able to believe her, this didn't stop Kouga from pulling away once more to look down at his little mate with tenderness. “No, Kagome,  _ you _ gave  _ me _ the greatest gift,” he said as he gently brushed his fingers across her lower belly.

As realization set in, Kagome's eyes filled with tears once more. Kouga unashamedly let a few tears escape as well as the couple shared their joy in the news.

.

#######

.

Life, as we all know, rarely turns out how we expect. Kouga had always expected Kagome to end up with Inuyasha, despite his valiant attempts at wooing her. He had later expected her to be afraid of his larger form, to turn away from him. Kagome had expected a normal life in Tokyo, had been planning out her future when she was dragged to the past. She had then expected to end up with the hanyou who had saved her life and driven her crazy.

Neither of them could have ever expected to be mated, happier than they could have ever imagined, with a baby on the way.

Kouga, once terrified of Kagome's reaction to his wolf, now shifted with every chance he could, luxuriating in the feeling of Kagome's deft fingers slipping through his fur. This was especially nice for Kagome on the more chilly nights, curled up safely inside the nest of warm furs and body heat as Kouga's wolf curled around her.

And just when they thought life couldn't get any better, their child was born. Little Kiba was born with human fingers and toes, the cutest little button nose, and the most adorable wolf ears she had ever seen in her life. A tiny tail jutted from the base of his small spine, and Kagome knew that he was absolutely perfect.

Years later, as she watched Kiba and Taki run around with their father, their childish wolf forms nearly as large as the wild wolves that lived with the tribe, Kagome knew that she had, after all, made the perfect choice.

  
  
  



End file.
